Letter from Osman Kavala at 9th Month of His Arrest
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Anadolu Kültür Executive Board Chair, rights advocate and businessperson Osman Kavala, who was arrested on November 1, 2017 and is still held in Silivri Prison, sent a letter upon the completion of his ninth month in prison.
The letter was published on the "Free Osman Kavala" website on August 19, 2018. In the introduction to his letter, Kavala wrote, "I have been in Silivri prison for nine months."
"It is strange not to see the face of justice"
The letter of Kavala continues as follows:
"At least a year will have passed by the time the indictment is ready and the day of the trial arrives. I was not anxious when I was detained, and I am still not. But it is a strange thing not to see the face of justice for nine whole months.
"Until now all my requests to be released have been turned down on the basis of the investigation file and without a court hearing. The court decisions have stated that the imputed offense – or the "charge thrown at me" in literally translated Turkish – necessitate my incarceration, and that the duration of detention is in proportion with the punishment for such a crime.
"The charge and part of the punishment are both thrown in the beginning"
"I am struck by the expression "the charge thrown at someone". Generally, it is a harmful thing that gets thrown at someone, throwing a slap in the face or throwing mud... Usually the verb to throw is also used to imply a quick and effortless act.
"In my case, the charge "thrown" at me is "attempting to overthrow the constitutional order and the government". When this is the imputed crime it automatically comes with prison detention and it is thought that this is justifiable as long as the period of detention does not exceed the final sentence the accused gets if found guilty.
"Thus, the charge and part of the punishment are both "thrown" at the suspect right in the beginning, and for months one is left burdened with both.
"I am waiting for the day when I will be able to defend myself in court and see the face of justice."
What happened?
Anadolu Kültür Executive Board Chair, human rights advocate and businessperson Osman Kavala was taken into custody in the evening hours on October 18 at İstanbul Atatürk Airport upon his return from a meeting of a project planned to be realized in cooperation with Goethe Institute in Antep.
He was targeted by some pro-government newspapers following his detention.
Speaking at the weekly group meeting of his party, President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan referred to Kavala as the "Soros of Turkey", mentioning his name and said:
"Some try to deflect the truth by means of praises attributed to him such as 'He was a good citizen, a media member, an NGO representative'. The identity of this figure called 'Soros of Turkey' has been uncovered. That was his name that came up in Consulate General [investigation]. All connections have surfaced. And there is the same person behind the incidents in Taksim. You see those people again behind funds transfer to certain places. Who are you trying to fool?"
His detention also sparked criticism on international level.
US thinker and professor in linguistics, Noam Chomsky, United States Department of State Spokesperson Heather Nauert and European Parliament Rapporteur for Turkey Kati Piri denounced Kavala's detention and demanded that he be released immediately.
On October 31, a group of 35 academics, writers and researchers coming together under the guidance of the European Network on Political Group Analysis Jean-François Bayart, addressed an open letter to President Erdoğan for Kavala's release.
About Osman Kavala
Kavala was born in Paris in 1957. He graduated from Department of Economy at Manchester University.
He has been working as executive at Kavala Group since 1982.
He participated in the foundation of Turkey's one of the most prominent publishing houses, İletişim Publications, with Murat Belge.
He served as member of administrative boards of business institutions and NGOs such as Turkey-Poland Business Council, Turkey-Greece Business Council, and Center for Democracy in Southeast Europe.
Kavala is a member of Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV) Administrative Board, Open Society Institute Consulting Board, and supporter of Helsinki Citizens' Assembly, History Foundation and Diyarbakır Culture House. (TP/SD)